Italy is bustling with economic activity, which increases financial opportunities for U.S. citizens. The University of Virginia reports that 7,500 American companies do business with Italy and 1,000 U.S. firms have offices in Italy. These prestigious corporations, such as IBM, General Electric, Motorola and Citibank, need American citizens who are fluent in Italian to work abroad. Learning Italian can also expand your career options if you're interested in the field of art history. According to the UNESCO, more than 60 percent of the world's art treasures are found in Italy.
The origin of Italian, as with many other languages, was influenced by Latin. Learning Italian can give you the mental tools, confidence and linguistic background to learn other romance languages, like French and Spanish, which are also influenced by Latin. For example, even before Italian was widespread, between 960-1225, the French influence on Italy added more vocabulary to Latin.
Italian-speaking cities such as Rome are popular, world-renowned tourist destinations. According to the University of Rochester, Rome had 30 million visitors in 2000. Knowing the native language can greatly increase the chances of having a memorable and enriching experience. You'll be able to experience the cultural more vividly, have positive interactions with the people, better understand the sites and have a greater sense of direction...not to mention understand the choices available to you on an Italian restaurant menu.
Learning Italian gives you the opportunity to expand your cultural base, enjoy an array of art forms and gain varying perspectives on life. You can read books by Italian authors, such as the classic Dante's Divine Comedy. In addition, you can watch Italian TV programs, learn about popular Italian hobbies or sports, make new friends, and have access to traditional Italian recipes.
Learning Italian can enhance your educational opportunities if you choose to study abroad or even obtain a professional degree at an Italian university. Learning Italian, just as with other languages, can also increase your intelligence. A study done by Armstrong in 1997 found that students scored higher in math and languages after one semester of studying a foreign language for 90 minutes a week. Bamford & Mizokawa discovered in 1991 that "individuals who learn a second language are more creative and better at solving complex problems than those who do not."